Children of the Sky
by thephaw
Summary: The desire to fly with 'real' wings was what motivated Ikki the most, even in a world full of ninja. But it would be boring to soar by himself. "Naruto, you want to become Hokage right? Lame. Why limit yourself? Why not reach higher and aim for the sky?"
1. Prologue: A Little Chat

**A/N: **Sorry if you were expecting a new chapter. All I did was add this prologue. It explains a bit more of the premise just to avoid confusion later on.

**Recommended Prerequisite Reading: **

Naruto manga up to Chapter 2

Air Gear manga up to Chapter 213

**Disclaimer: **Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and Air Gear belongs to Ogura Ito (Oh! Great). I own nothing... *cries*

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**. : Prologue: A Little Chat : .**

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_I hope you'll excuse my rambling, it's not every day that a team challenges Inorganic Net. Such a young bunch as well, which is why my interference is so imperative, so crucial. Kogarasumaru… indeed they're a rather talented team. I have my eyes on them all. Itsuki, Kazuma, Agito… they have so much potential as kings. Even the others: Issa, Onigiri, Emily, and Yayoi are not to be underestimated. _

_By the way, do you know? Can you see why there are some stormriders out there who are known as the kings and queens within the world of ATs? It's simple, really. It's because they're the ones who are truly connected to the infinite atmosphere… the sky. The regalia are their wings. Their purpose is to soar; to lead the way towards new heights with the weight of humanity upon their shoulders. _

_But then, what does it truly mean to soar through the sky? _

_Freedom?_

_Let me tell you something. One man believed that. He believed that to fly meant absolute freedom. When you're way up high in the infinite atmosphere, there's nothing to oppress you. No obstacles to hold you back. Flying meant that you could accomplish your goals unbound by the shackles of the world around you; just like birds, rulers of the sky, noble and majestic. _

_Who was it who believed this? Why that BASTARD, of course; none other than that failed creation Sora Takeuchi. He was exactly what I feared when the Gravity Children Project was conceived. _

_Sora... The obstacles holding him back were his own friends and family. The very laws meant to protect mankind itself were the shackles he would escape and fly over. He truly wanted to do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. To him, freedom meant nothing short of world domination; to have the entire world as a plaything. Being free doesn't sound so noble and majestic anymore, does it?_

_But I digress._

_That's why they're in there right now, Kogarasumaru I mean. They have so much potential that it's scary and the world cannot afford another Sora Takeuchi. So we're monitoring Kogarasumaru's actions while they're trapped in that virtual world. It's a test, really. If they pass, then our job is done. But if they fail… we'll have to clip their wings before they can 'take flight'. _

_Now do you understand? Do you have any questions?_

…_ah, so you want to know about those four._

_Those four kids… they're my latest project. Aren't they beautiful? I've had them connected to that virtual world since their births. It wasn't easy you know, awakening the abilities within them. They're different from the Gravity Children. In fact, they don't even have the same abilities. Instead, I've infused an experimental new power within them… chakra. _

_I even named them myself. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura; they're the Sky Children Project. And it's finally time to introduce them to their very own Regalia. The fourth one? Shhh, he's a bit of a secret. You'll see soon enough. _

_Why am I going to have Kogarasumaru enter their world? Let's just say I'm killing two birds with one stone. I'm afraid I can't get into any more detail than that. _

_Well that's all the time I have to chat. Kogarasumaru is just about done with the old Sleeping Forest. It would be rude to keep them waiting, you know? _

_In any case, I'm looking forward to your support… you and the rest of Tool Toul To. I only pray that you're right about Kogarasumaru. Especially when it comes to Itsuki... because from what I've seen so far, he's already following Sora's footsteps._

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**A/N: **Who is this guy and who is he talking to? Not telling.


	2. All Split Up

**A/N: **Please keep in mind that this story starts in the time slot between 'Naruto becoming a Genin' and the time he becomes a team with Sasuke and Sakura. So somewhere between chapter two and three of the Naruto manga.

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**. : All Split Up : .**

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**_Ouch…_

Ikki's head felt like it could explode at any moment. His thighs were throbbing, his arms stung all over, and the pounding in his heart felt so intense that he thought he might have a heart attack at any second. As the rest of his body slowly responded to the consciousness of his brain, Ikki managed to will his eyes open. It was dark.

_What the… where am I?_

He racked his brain for the memories leading up to his current state. They came in bits and pieces, fragments of his most recent battle.

_Gram Scale Tournament… Inorganic Net… Falco… the original Sleeping Forest… A-class parts war… _

Ikki shut his eyes tightly, shaking his head as if the action would sort out his thoughts.

_We won… didn't we?_ He went through the entire battle from start to finish.

Taking place in some unknown world of flying castles and mythical monsters, the battle began with a bang. Kogarasumaru barely managed to fend off Sleeping Forest's initial attack, forced to reveal their own considerable abilities in their defense. Soon after the opening act, Kogarasumaru took to the skies, riding the beasts that flew all around them. At the same time, Sleeping Forest relentlessly pursued, driving Ikki and the others towards a complex of floating castles and towers.

Dontores was the first member of the legendary team they had to face; he was their weakest member, and a sacrifice meant to hold off Kogarasumaru. It was Buccha, with the weight of the entire team on his back, who managed to fend off the Rumble King, allowing Ikki and the others to follow through with their own plan.

Complications arose quickly. The monarch of the virtual world became enraged with the battle, calling forth dangerous monsters to rally against both teams, though it was Sleeping Forest who had to face the brunt of the unnatural attack.

Luckily, the only monsters Kogarasumaru had to deal with were the copy monsters and Ikki managed to use them to create a decoy team to distract Sleeping Forest while the real team headed for the goal, a balloon drifting freely into the skies.

The plan didn't work. Kilik saw right through them, found out that Agito was the panther, and called in his team to unleash their terrible abilities against the young Fang King. Unable to fend off the combined assault of the six opposing kings, Agito fell, but Ikki's true plan begun.

Falco, the former Fang King, believed that the match was over now that Agito was taken down so he logged off. Ikki had bet on that; having one less 'King' to deal with helped to tip the scales in Kogarasumaru's favor. He also bet on the fact that Rika was Sleeping Forests's panther. He was right, leading Kogarasumaru to unleash their hidden powerhouse, the self-proclaimed 'King' of the self-announced 'Smell Road': Onigiri.

It was their short, chubby, riceball-shaped-head friend that saved the team from defeat. Onigiri had always lusted after Rika ever since he met her. This lust combined with his overwhelmingly perverted nature unlocked a hidden power that even Sleeping Forest admitted, exceeded human limits. With renewed vigor, the rest of the team joined in, holding off Sleeping Forest at a key choke point, while discreetly sending off Adachi, their true panther, towards the goal.

By the time Kilik realized this, it was too late. He made a last ditch effort to stop her, and almost succeeded, but Sleeping Forests' own arrogance was their downfall; Kilik had grossly underestimated her. At least that was what Ikki believed. Emily Adachi, showing off incredible strength, was able to get past the 'Gem King', throwing everything on the line into her final leap towards the balloon.

And just as she thought she wouldn't make it, it was Ikki himself, riding atop a winged beast like a knight in shining armor, who reached her just in time to vault her into the sky.

And that final moment of victory… there was no way he could have mistaken that. The moment Adachi latched on to that balloon was Kogarasumaru's greatest moment; Ikki's greatest achievement thus far.

_We won… we definitely won_, thought Ikki as he snapped back to reality. _So then… why am I here?_

Ikki expected to be staring up at the roof of Falco's apartment, surrounded by his team, his friends. Instead, in front of his eyes was a moonlit night sky.

Involuntarily letting go a pained grunt, Ikki managed to sit upright, noting that he still wore his ATs. He checked the rest of his person, taking in the rips and the tears across his pants and jacket, the cuts and bruises across his limbs, and the feelings of _hurt_ that seemingly coursed through every cell of his body_._

Not only that, the buildings around him all looked ancient. There were no towering skyscrapers, no roads of concrete... just lots of trees. Ikki figured he was in some remote village somewhere, especially since the buildings looked a little small; and were mostly colored white with orange roofs.

_Definitely not in Tokyo anymore…_

"Ahh! You're alive!?" asked a loud and kind of obnoxious voice.

Ikki turned to face whoever it was, asking the first question that came to his mind with a frown: "Who are you?" He looked over at the blonde kid who looked like a grade-schooler; a boy who wore a strange orange and blue outfit. Not only that, there was some kind of steel plated headband tied across his forehead.

The boy pointed at Ikki, looking agitated. "What do you mean 'who am I'? You're the one who suddenly appeared on my balcony," he complained. "Who the hell are you?"

That didn't make any sense. "Wait, what do you mean I 'appeared'?" asked Ikki.

The kid explained. "I was sitting over there, on the railing," he said, pointing at where meant, "…and when I turned around, you were there. I thought you were a dead body at first and was just about to call someone over to get rid of you but then you woke up."

Ikki clutched his head. None of this made any sense at all. Wasn't he just inside of Falco's program? Could a program injure you in the physical world like this? Where was the rest of his team?

"Oi, now answer _my_ question," demanded the blonde boy.

"Huh? Oh, I'm Itsuki Minami," said Ikki, suddenly deciding that he should get as much information out of this kid as he could. "You can call me Ikki. You have name?"

The kid looked reluctant at first but eventually answered. "Naruto Uzumaki."

"Naruto, huh? Can you tell me where I am?"

"Weren't you paying attention?" he answered. "You're on my balcony. This is my apartment." Naruto waved over at a nearby door.

Ikki held in his frustration. "No, I mean what city are we in? I don't recognized anything around here." He waited for a reply. Instead, Naruto gave him a blank stare. Ikki sighed. "This _is_ Japan, isn't it?"

Still, Naruto continued to stare blankly before cocking his head to the side and throwing out an inquiring look. "Hah? Japan? What's that?"

_No way!_ Ikki's mouth gaped open. "Then where are we? Town, village, country… at least tell me something!"

"What a stupid question," complained Naruto. "We're in Konohagakure no Sato, Fire Country."

"A village hidden in the leaves? Fire Country?" Ikki was baffled. "Are you a retard or something? I guess I should know better than to ask some stupid kid." Actually, Ikki barely muttered the insults but judging from Naruto's angry posture, the boy caught it.

"Are you making fun of me?" accused Naruto. "I'm a ninja you know. You should give me more respect." Ikki could barely contain his laughter, trying to hide a stupid grin growing on his face with his hands. Meanwhile, Naruto shifted into what looked like a battle stance. "I knew it! You _are_ making fun of me. Get up! I'm gonna beat some respect into you."

Ikki nonchalantly rose to his feet and before Naruto could even blink, burst forward with his ATs, kicking up a trail of dust and stopping just as suddenly behind the boy. He had hand in Naruto's hair, messing it up in a decidedly cocky pose. "Pretty slow for a ninja, kid," said Ikki, just before leaping off the balcony towards another building.

"Hey wait!" called out Naruto. "How'd you do that?"

"Sorry, but I don't have time to play ninja with you," replied Ikki.

For some reason, the boy replied. "Wait, you forgot something."

_Forgot something? _Curious, Ikki turned his head back just as Naruto exploded into smoke.

"Sexy no Jutsu!"

_What the!? _The smoke cleared, revealing a buxom and completely naked hottie. The silky blonde pigtails, bare and perfectly-shaped breasts, the elusive area between her legs… Ikki couldn't tear his eyes away from any of it. Unfortunately, he also momentarily forgot that he was still moving forward at an extremely high speed and thus crashed into something. _At least it was worth it,_ he thought, just before unconsciousness suddenly took over him.

-x-

_Pant… pant… pant… pant…_

Emily Adachi, completely exhausted, collapsed down onto her butt, splaying her worn out legs while resting her back against a wall of some unfamiliar building. Beside her was an equally tired Yayoi Nakayama who managed to stay on her feet as she leaned forward, hands on her knees. They both confined themselves within the shadows, making every effort to keep silent as the sounds of footsteps scurried past them. It was only once there was silence again, that they dared to speak up.

"I think we finally lost them," said Emily, brushing off the patches of dirt and dust that had settled on her bare legs and black 'Kogarasumaru' jacket she wore.

Yayoi pulled up the fallen band of her overalls back over the shoulders of her white t-shirt before helping Emily to her feet. "Did we really have to run in the first place?" she complained.

"But… they were looking at us funny," Emily reasoned. "Guys like that, they're predators. You have to learn to recognize them, Nakayama."

"But weren't they wore vests those bullet-proof vests? I thought they were the police or something. We should have asked them for help."

"Don't be fooled," admonished Emily. "What kind of police outfit is green? And isn't suspicious that they all wore headbands? I think they're a gang or something."

"Well, whatever. It's a good thing they didn't have ATs or they would have caught us for sure," said Yayoi.

They both performed a quick search of the general area as an added precaution. Thankfully, they found nothing. Still, there was something eerie about all the dead silence. It felt unnatural.

The two girls roamed side-by-side deeper into the dark complex of buildings, moving just slowly enough for Emily's ATs to run silent. But all of a sudden, without warning, a chill reverberated through both of their spines causing the two girls to jump and wrap their arms around each other as they shivered in fear.

"Th-this place is a little creepy," said Emily, her eyes darting frantically in search of the ghosts and monsters she was sure would pop out at any moment.

"Why is everything boarded up?" agreed Yayoi, taking note of the seemingly abandoned buildings. It was like a ghost town or something. "Anyways, we should get out of here."

Emily nodded in agreement and they both gladly turned around, bumping into something that wasn't there before.

"Ugh!"

"KYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" both girls screamed when they caught the silhouette of what seemed to be a small monster… or ghost… or some combination of both! Emily's reaction was to throw out a fist that somehow landed, sending whatever it was flying backward several feet. Both Emily and Yayoi were prepared to run away afterwards but when the figure failed to get back up, curiosity suddenly took over and they decided to see what it was.

So the two of them cautiously approached, shock planted on their faces when they got a better look at their bump-in-the-night.

"It looks like... a boy?" Emily reached out to touch the body, just to make sure it wasn't ethereal or anything weird like that.

Yayoi bent down to get a closer look at the body. He had a pale complexion about him yet his facial features were sharp, marred only by a trickle of blood that leaked from the corner of his mouth. That was probably Emily's fault. Underneath the dark raven blue bangs of his hair was a steel plate engraved with a symbol that sort of resembled a leaf. Yayoi checked his vitals as best she could.

"Is he okay?"

Yayoi shrugged. "He's got a pulse." They both noted the rise of fall of the boy's chest and decided he was still very much alive.

"Why is there a little kid out alone at this creepy place anyways?" asked Emily.

Yayoi shrugged again. "What should we do with him?"

Emily wondered what Ikki would do in this situation. _Probably finish the poor kid off_. "I don't think we should just leave him here like this," she said.

A familiar voice startled the both of them. "Hey Sasuke!" it called out. "Is that you? Did you find them?"

Emily and Yayoi looked towards each other.

"Isn't that…"

"Kazu-sama?" finished Emily. They turned and waved frantically at the familiar visage that approached. White hoody, black pants, black jacket, beanie over his blonde hair; the girls welcomed the familiar sight with open arms.

"Huh? Emily, Nakayama-san, we were looking for you guys," said Kazu.

"Ah, so Ikki and the others are with you?"

Kazu shook his head. "Looks like we'll have to find them too…" Both Emily and Yayoi narrowed their eyes in question so Kazu explained himself. "Actually, when I woke up this morning, I had no clue where I was. But then I found a local kid and he said we're in some kind of village. I figured the rest of you guys were in the same situation so I convinced the kid to help me find all of you. A few people said they spotted suspicious looking girls around the area and I thought it might have been you two. Looks like I was right."

"Village?"

"I'll explain later," said Kazu. "By the way, have you seen the kid? His name is Sasuke."

Emily and Yayoi pointed behind them. "Him?"

The boy suddenly stirred awake. He seemed a little distraught when he opened his eyes and caught sight of the three of them. "You found them…" he said, monotone.

Kazu sighed. "That's him alright. Sasuke, this is Adachi and Nakayama, they're my—"

"—We've found them, so teach me!" he suddenly demanded, ignoring the two girls as he glared up at Kazu. "Show me how you moved like that! Show me how you made those flames!"

"Umm… Kazu?" The two girls stared on incredulously.

Kazu gave them an awkward smile and started scratching the back of his head. "Heh heh, how should I explain… Well he tried to attack me before so I ended up showing him a bit of the Apollo Road."

-x-

Sakura couldn't believe it. She was a ninja, she was a soldier, a defender of Konoha; yet now she ran, moved as fast as she could over the rooftops of the village, away from the monster that chased her so relentlessly.

She couldn't help it. The way he looked at her a few moments back was so consuming, so bloodthirsty, so carnal. Yet all she could really remember of him were his unnaturally calm eyes and demonic grin… That was all it took for her mind to come up to the conclusion that she should run for her life.

Struggling to steady her breath, she looked back, cursing to herself when her own pink hair got in the way of her eyes. She was just about to brush it away when all of a sudden she collided – hard – into something. It felt like a person. It _was_ a person.

"Hey…" he said calmly, lazily almost. "Finally done running? Can we talk now?"

Sakura fought off the urge to try to run again, if he caught up to her this easily then there was no hope of running away. So instead, she gathered the courage to look up at him. Flowing blue hair was messily swept back, like a longer, more elegant version of Sasuke's hair. He looked young, and from a distance, rather slim and frail as well. But that was a deception. Upon closer inspection, his body was rugged and toned, yet elegant all the same.

However, it was his eyes that she couldn't look away from… they were golden and almost beastlike. His pupils were two white crosses angled on top of each other. Sakura assumed it was some kind of bloodline even though it didn't match anything she was taught at the Academy.

"Who are you?" she said, trying hard to sound strong. "Why are you chasing me?"

"My name is Lind," he said casually. "And I'm kind of lost. I just thought I'd ask a pretty girl for directions."

Sakura blushed, despite herself, then shook her head, remembering how demonic he looked initially. "Lost?" She slowly reached for her shuriken pouch. _Is he a missing nin?_

"Yup, lost. Well, actually, it's more like have no idea where I am right now. Anyways, I'm looking for someone. He's a little taller than me, black messy hair, same jacket—"

She didn't know why but her body suddenly moved on it's own, flinging several shuriken at him. Maybe it was because he seemed so dangerous. Maybe she was just really scared. Whatever the reason, she would soon regret it because Lind had disappeared as did her shuriken. _What!?_

She didn't even have time to look around, suddenly her body was yanked backwards and she heard several thwacks sound near her feet. She looked down… the shuriken she had thrown had all embedded themselves into the shape of a heart onto the tile of the roof she was once standing on. _No way, _now she was paralyzed with disbelief and fear.

"Do you usually attack people like that? That was kind of mean," he said. "Weak little girls shouldn't play with dangerous toys like these…"

_Weak… you're weak… stop being a burden, Sakura… can't you see he's making fun of you? Do something about it… _The thoughts didn't feel like her own at all. Was it… Inner Sakura? …_do something about it, or I will._

She felt something hard and sharpt dig into the skin of her cheek. And even then, she didn't dare to move. Blood trickled down, she could feel it. She could also feel a finger lazily sliding across the cut as Lind casually strode out in front of her.

There it was. _There_ was that beastly gaze she saw the first time. With blood still soaking his finger, he licked it hungrily right in front of her. But then for some reason, he smiled. Just stared and smiled for the longest time like she was a work of art… or piece of meat.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Sakura managed a step back. "I-I'll help you," she desperately said. "I'll help you, so please, just leave me alone after."

"Huh?" It was as if her words had suddenly woken him up. "Oh yea, I almost forgot about that." His beastly look turned cheery, as if they had suddenly become best friends. "Okay!"

Sakura let a sigh escape her lips, and she allowed herself to relax, just a little though.

"But you know…" he quickly added. "You're a lot like me. I can taste it in your blood."

_A lot like him? Yea right. He feels like a monster. How I can be_— her thoughts were suddenly interrupted.

"There's another person inside of you isn't there. Someone you can talk to, someone who might even help you sometimes."

Sakura's eyes opened wide in shock. _He knew about Inner Sakura? _She tried to deny it. "What are you talking about?"

He ignored the blatant denial and motioned her to follow as he jumped off the rooftops and back onto the streets. "You should let her out sometimes. She can make you stronger." Sakura followed him; the fear suddenly abandoned her and replaced itself with intrigue.

"She… can?" Sakura was always known as the weakest at the Academy... well next to Naruto. She pretended not to care, focusing instead on expanding her knowledge. But knowing things can only take you so far... The fact that she was weak ate her up inside. She wanted to change, to become stronger.

"Definitely," he answered.

"Then… then how? How can I let her out?" she demanded.

Lind stopped, as if on cue, and turned around to face her. He stared directly into her eyes, she couldn't help but flinch. "Hmm... she kind of reminds me of you two, wouldn't you agree, Agito? Akito?" he said, showing off a lazy grin.

"Wh-what?" _Agito? Akito? Was he talking to… himself?_ _But his name is Lind._ Sakura looked around herself just to make sure there was nobody else around. There wasn't.

"Oh, nevermind. Here…" He reached into his jacket and pulled out something, tossing it over to Sakura. She caught it…

"A… a bandage?" It wasn't just any bandage. It was one meant to patch over her eyes. "What is this for?"

"Hmm," he said, shrugging. He then turned around and began walking through the empty streets again. "Stick around and I'll show you."

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**A/N: **I don't care what you think of it, **please give this story a bad review**. Flame, insult, a simple 'this story sucks', whatever. I've always wondered what would happen if a relatively normal, if not mediocre, story like this one got nothing but blatantly horrible reviews. Feel free to point out errors and stuff though.

So **support this story by flaming it to the ground!** No matter what, I will continue the story and actually try to make it good. By the way, All 'good' reviews will be seen as an actual flame, whether intended or not.

Thanks for reading.


	3. Survival Training

**A/N: **Thanks for the flames. Honestly, I don't think they did anything. The story still got plenty of views... maybe because there are only like three stories in the Airgear/Naruto crossover section. Oh well, whatever.

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As soon as Ikki awoke, he felt two things that momentarily struck him as a 'what-the-fuck?' kind of sensation. First of all, his crotch was inexplicably sore. Second, when he tried to get up, he soon realized that he could not. So, like a reflex, his eyes shot open and immediately stared down at, of all things, his bare feet.

_What the hell!? Where are my ATs? _Panic and worry flooded his mind until he caught a glimpse of his high-tech footwear on the floor a few meters away.

_Phew…_ now that he knew where his ATs were, his brain finally managed to function just enough to come to the conclusion that he also happened to be thoroughly tied down onto a chair.

Now he remembered what happened. That punk kid, Naruto, distracted _him, _the mighty Ikki, with some kind of stupid (yet admittedly pleasing to the eyes) trick and thus the Storm King ended up crashing into something... Whatever, Ikki didn't like to dwell on the past. Instead, he focused on his current master plan: finding a way to get his hands on firecrackers to stick up Naruto's butt after thoroughly kicking his ass.

"Hey Kid!" he shouted. "Naruto! What the hell is this? Untie me you bastard!"

Silence…

"Uh… kid?" Ikki looked around. Table, futon, empty ramen cups and milk cartons littered the place… he was in some slob's apartment. And judging from a familiar set of clothes scattered across the floor, it was Naruto's apartment. "Naruto!?" he called out again.

Still no answer…

Angry, Ikki struggled against the ropes binding him to the chair. _Damn kid, if you think some stupid ropes can hold down me, a god amongst Stormriders, you're too naïve!_

-x-

Outside her house, Sakura stood facing one of the trees that towered over her backyard. It was a spot she liked, out of the direct line of sight of any of the windows either from her own house or the two neighboring ones.

She gripped a lunchbox steadily in her hands, staring at a waft of blue hair that just barely became visible as a caressing wind blew it into sight. The view was nothing out of the ordinary. Not after yesterday.

And yet, very clearly, there was a sensation that engulfed her wholly. Not just a sensation, but an emotion. She felt happy to see him. Or maybe it was just relief; she found it hard to discern the two at the moment.

"Don't you have somewhere to go?" said his voice, Lind's voice. Sakura felt a little startled. She didn't really do anything to give away her presence yet he called out to her like he expected her.

"Um… Lind-san? I've brought you some breakfast," she offered.

"Oh?" He didn't even move, _the jerk._

And for that reason, Sakura felt the urge to explain. "Well… sensei told me not to eat this morning for some reason but Ka-chan made me some food anyways so I thought I'd just pack it up and thought maybe you'd—"

"Thanks…" he interrupted.

She took that a signal to approach. So she did, feeling more uneasy every step she took. _Lind-san? Something's different… something doesn't feel right. _For some reason, there was an air of hostility about. It felt as if an aura of killing intent was directed against her, and she felt that urge to run away again.

"Just leave it there," he said. No, not said, he nearly spat it out. _Was he angry? Why? _Whatever the reason, Sakura did as she was told. Lind was still very much a complete stranger and a dangerous one at that. Still, when she turned around and headed off, she hoped he would be there when she returned.

-x-

"Kazu-sama… Kazu-sama, wake up."

Kazu lifted his lids to see Emily's huge brown eyes glitter back at him. "Adachi? It's morning already?"

She nodded. "Sasuke-kun already left. Yayoi did too. She went off to keep looking for Ikki and the others. We should keep looking too."

"Wait, where did Sasuke go?"

"I'm not sure, exactly," answered Emily, shrugging. "He said something about survival training."

* * *

**. : Survival Training : . **

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_Is this what survival training is supposed to be?_

That was the first thought running through Yayoi Nakayama's head as she stared in wonderment at the ensuing battle. Her current hiding spot, atop a random tree hidden behind leaves, allowed her an excellent view of the action. At first she didn't know why she followed that Sasuke kid but now she was glad she did.

In the distance, a blonde boy had just begun his direct assault against some white-haired masked-man. She dubbed them Blondie and Gramps; the latter nicknamed because his hair was white and sort of resembled her own grandpa's hair._ Still, why were they suddenly fighting? And what kind of fight was this?_ Gramps just pulled out a book for some reason…

She couldn't hear anything from her position but Yayoi was sure Blondie was angry. _Gramps is pretty good,_ she noted, watching amused at how he lazily blocked or dodged every attack from Blondie… even while reading a book.

"A Thousand Years of Pain!!!" came a loud shout from Gramps. Yayoi rubbed her own butt for a second as the blonde kid splashed into a nearby pond… _Ouch, poor kid, to have his virginity taken by an ass-poke at such an early age…_

She thought she might have been seeing things when the kid popped right back out of the water… followed by five more of him. She rubbed her eyes. The copies were still there, fighting no less. _What the…? _But then she remembered what Sasuke-kun had told them the night before: _"I'm a ninja."_ Now she felt kind of bad for laughing her butt off at him the night before.

"Ninja are real?" she mused to herself. Well, it certainly explained most of what she was seeing right now. Shuriken were being thrown, Gramps was wearing a mask, and a little kid was duplicating himself. It was like they came straight out of an anime or something. Yayoi bit back her skepticism and continued cheerfully gawking.

Gramps disappeared in a flash of smoke and the identical blonde kids started beating each other up; disappearing until there was only one left, who apparently sprung some kind of trap because now he was hanging upside down under a tree. _Hehe, ninja or not, this is pretty entertaining…_

Half an hour later

Okay, maybe it wasn't so entertaining after all. After Blondie got hung under a tree, everyone else just disappeared. Blondie was there, of course, but other then that one hilarious time he cut himself down from the tree, only to fall into the exact same trap, watching him for half an hour was pretty boring.

So… she decided to get down from her spot to find a new vantage point. But before she could even move she felt something land onto the same branch she was on.

"Yo," said the voice. "Civilians shouldn't be here. It's dangerous."

Yayoi looked back at her unexpected visitor. She was surprised at who it was. "G-gramps?" Okay, upon closer inspection, he looked nothing like her grandpa. In fact, he was kind of hot. She cursed herself for the thought. Agito was supposed to be the only one for her.

"Gramps?" he asked, scratching his head. He sat on the branch like he was taking a nap or something. "Do I really look that old?" Surprisingly, there was worry in his voice when he said it.

"Oh, uh, sorry," she blushed. "It was my nickname for you when I was s— err…"

"Spying?"

"Watching," she corrected.

"Suspicious…"

Yayoi responded with a verbal attack of her own. "I'm suspicious? Isn't there a law against abusing kids like this? You should be ashamed of yourself!" He pointed at Naruto who was still hanging upside-down from his tree in the distance.

He seemed a little taken aback by this. "It's a test," he explained. "To see if they're ready to become ninja."

"A ninja test?" asked Yayoi, skeptical.

He nodded, pointing towards the two bells hanging from his waist. "They have to get these before noon or they fail. Actually, they've only got a few minutes left."

"And you use real weapons?" she asked. He nodded. "So what Sasuke said about you being ninja is true?" He nodded again, though his eyebrow quirked up when she mentioned Sasuke.

"Now, mind if I ask _you_ a question?" Yayoi didn't see why not, so she nodded. "Why are you all hiding up in this tree?"

"Well Sasuke was—" she interrupted herself. _Did he say 'you all?' _ "Umm… I'm the only one up here… aren't I?"

The man threw a shuriken up into the tree and Yayoi heard something snap, followed by a loud thump under her. They both looked towards it, shock smeared across Yayoi's face. "B-B-BUCCHA!?"

Giant, bald, brown, and eternally equipped with headphones, he looked equally surprised to see her there. "Nakayama?"

Like some kind of retarded chain reaction, the sounds of snapping branches continued to sound all around them. First, Kazu appeared out of nowhere, followed by Emily who landed on top of him. Then it was Agito, who landed with a loud "What the fuck!?"

Finally, there was Ikki, who didn't fall, but rather popped out from behind the leaves above her, waving to her with a "Yo! I heard everything."

The only person missing seemed to be Onigiri. Yayoi couldn't help but raise her voice in anger at all of them. "You were all here and didn't say anything!?"

Ikki threw her an unbelievably cocky grin. "You did well, Nakayama, getting information like that. My plan was perfect!"

"Wait, huh? What plan!?" Yayoi looked over at everyone else. They all seemed equally confounded.

"Bullshit, you fucking crow!" growled Agito. "Trying to take credit for a chance meeting like this… fuck!"

Yayoi sighed, _Definitely the same old Ikki and Agito._

Ikki ignored his team, suddenly directing his attention to… uhh… Gramps. She still didn't know his real name. "Hey you!"

The white-haired ninja, who looked a little dumbfounded at all these teenagers, pointed at himself questioningly.

"Yea, you. I accept your challenge!"

"My name is Kakashi," he said. "And I'm not sure what you mean by challenge."

Ikki leapt off the tree, landing gracefully on the soft earth as the others gathered around him. "I heard it straight from your mouth," continued Ikki. "You said if we take those bells from you, we'll be qualified as ninja. A title like ninja could only improve our team's rep."

Kakashi sweat-dropped. "Look, I don't have time for this the—"

An alarm-clock in the distance rang out, interrupting him. Yayoi knew what that meant. It was noon. It was times up for Sasuke, Blondie, and Pinky.

"…test is over," he finished. "Anyways, whoever you all are, you need to get out of here before I report you for trespassing."

"Wait, I have some unfinished business with Naruto," said Ikki, pointing towards the clearing where the three kids waited. Without waiting for a reply, Ikki dashed towards the clearing, smiling dreadfully. "Hey, Naruto! We got off on the wrong foot, I've got a present for you!" he called out, clenching his hands into fists. _Where those firecrackers in his hands? Where did he?_

It wasn't just Ikki, either. One by one, everyone came up with their excuses to stick around.

"I have to go thank that pink-haired girl for breakfast," said Agito.

"We're good friends with Sasuke," explained Kazu and Emily.

"I'm hungry," said Buccha. _What kind of excuse was that?_

"I'm with them," said Yayoi when Kakashi looked towards her. She offered him a coy smile and pointed at the entire group. "Don't worry, they'll probably just get bored and leave once their business is done."

Kakashi sighed. Yayoi could tell exactly what he was thinking… it was that same look Orihara-sensei, one of their middle school teachers, had most of the time; _Damn teenagers._

Time Skip no Jutsu:

Kakashi gave in. "Fine, but you have to leave right after." Around him, at the clearing next to the three upright logs, were six teenagers and three twelve-year olds.

Kogarasumaru (minus Onigiri) all cheered. Yayoi, however, wondered why nobody else complained about being in an unfamiliar village in some unfamiliar country. The allure of officially becoming ninja was too intoxicating, she supposed.

"What!?" complained Naruto. "That's not fair. How come they get to take the test too? They didn't even go through the Academy! Even Sakura and Sasuke agree with me, right guys?" He looked over at his two supposed supporters. Sasuke shrugged, uncaring, while Sakura stared at Agito looking a little confused. "Um guys? Help me out here."

"I have nothing against them trying out," said Kakashi. "Besides, you three…" He pointed towards Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, "…there's no longer any need for you to take the test."

Naruto lit up. "You mean, we pass!?"

"Nope," said Kakashi. "You three, should just quit as ninjas."

Naruto was obviously shocked. "Wh-what!? Quit as ninjas? What do you mean?"

Sakura, equally shocked, tried to defend the team. "But Kakashi-sensei, I know we couldn't get the bells, but… why do we have to quit?"

Sasuke's reaction was a little more physical. He rushed forward, weapon in hand, only to get immediately knocked to the ground and violently subdued by their sensei.

"Are you guys underestimating ninjas? Huh?" said Kakashi, furiously, as he stepped down on Sasuke's head. "Why do you think you were set as a team for this training?"

Both Sakura and Naruto looked puzzled. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Basically, you three have shown me…" continued Kakashi. "…that you don't understand the answer."

"Answer?" inquired Naruto.

"Yes, the answer that would've helped you pass this test."

"So… are you going to tell us?" asked Sakura.

"Yea, just give us the answer already!" demanded Naruto.

Kakashi sighed. "Jeez… the answer is—"

"—I'll tell them!" cut off Ikki. Everyone looked baffled at this, especially his teammates who stared at him incredulously. "I know because I encounter it all the time." Yayoi looked over at him… he looked so calm, so serene, as he stared up into the sky. It surprised her every time she saw this look on Ikki. It was so inspirational.

Yayoi nodded proudly. Of course, she knew the answer too… it was teamwork. So if she knew it, it was obvious that Ikki would know this as well. He was their leader after all.

"Really…" said Kakashi. "Let's hear it, then."

Ikki harrumphed. "It's because you three are too weak."

There was a long pause before anybody responded. Then the shouts all came out like a storm that would give even Ikki's road a run for its money.

"That's the answer you're so proud of?" jeered Agito. "Are you fucking retarded?"

Emily nodded. "It's Ikki, you guys, did you expect anything else?"

"How the hell did you become our leader," said Buccha.

Kazu was too busy throwing Ikki a 'why are you such an idiot' punch to the face to say anything.

Yayoi just shook her head in shame. "Teamwork… the answer is teamwork, you idiot… I can't believe I wasted my emotions on you…"

"Uggh," said Kakashi. He had a palm covering his face as if he had a headache or something. He turned towards Naruto and Sakura, helping Sasuke to his feet at the same time. "You three… that girl is right. Teamwork is the answer. There were only two bells but this test was supposed to see if you could look past your own interests and work together. The revelation was supposed to feel a little more dramatic but…" he glared over in Ikki's direction. "Anyways… while I take care of these people, I want you three to take a walk and think over what I just said. I'll give you another chance… but this time, I won't go easy on you. Return in an hour."

With that, Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke grabbed their lunches and headed back towards the crowded streets of the village.

"Heh, so it's finally our turn?" said Ikki.

There was something foreboding about Kakashi now. He exuded a killer aura. "Usually I'd go easy on kids like you…" he started. "But you just ruined my precious lesson." He turned to face the six teenagers.

Ikki ignored the threatening remark. "So… any rules we should know?"

Kakashi looked like he was considering something. He grabbed a bell from his belt and threw it away and pointed at the remaining one. "One bell," he said. "If you can take it, I'll accept you guys."

"Hehe, underestimating us, huh?" taunted Ikki. "You'll regret it…"

Kakashi ignored the comment. "There will be no time limit… it'll end fast, anyways…"

"I like your style," said Ikki.

"And there's only one rule…" added Kakashi. "Just do me a favor and stay alive… because this time, I'll be attacking as well." Kakashi pulled the headband from his eye, revealing a red pupil that glared at Kogarasumaru like an omen of death. "I won't let you back out now. Are you ready?"

"Hmph, we're set," said Ikki.

"Then let's go!"


	4. A Mysterious Shop

**A/N: **Sorry, for the short chapter this time. Something to mull you guys over while I work out the details of Kakashi's fight against Kogarasumaru... well minus Onigiri. I have other plans for him.

* * *

**. : A Mysterious Shop : . **

**

* * *

  
**

The streets were busy this time of day. The sun still shone bright above them as Team Seven jostled their way through the crowded streams of people. Naruto led the trio, mostly because Sakura-chan would toss him her angry glare every time he even thought about approaching her or Sasuke-teme.

"Man… why are we walking anyways? Kakashi-sensei told us to think about teamwork or whatever but you guys aren't even paying attention to me."

"Shut-up, Naruto," answered Sakura. "You're dead-last so you should just leave it up to Sasuke-kun and me to come up with a strategy. Right, Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn…" said Sasuke, dismissively.

The angry blonde was about to let go a wave in insults against his teammates but a faint hum in the distance distracted him. "Wait, guys…" said Naruto. "Do you hear that?"

"Stop trying to distract us, Naruto," admonished Sakura.

Despite the threat, Naruto stopped dead, straining his ears to pick up the offending sound. Actually, it wasn't offending at all; more like a sweet, melodic song. He carefully repeated every word he heard: "Father may your holy name be honored; may your kingdom come. Give us day by day the food we need; and so I say to you, 'ask and ye shall receive.'" He scratched his head afterwards. The words were a little strange, to say the least.

"What are you saying, Naruto, you don't make any sense—"

"I hear it too," said Sasuke, causing Sakura to reactively shut up and listen in with them. The boys were right… there were no more words but the beautiful humming continued. It sounded so carefree and alluring… urging her to find its source.

Naruto was the first to react to the urge. "I think it's coming from over there," pointed out Naruto. He ran in the direction of the humming. Much to Sakura's dismay, Sasuke soon wordlessly followed.

"Guys, wait up," shouted Sakura as she pursued.

The humming got louder and clearer as they approached, only to disappointingly stop. Naruto looked around, his eyes catching the sight of an odd looking wooden sign that hung out from one of the shops. "Tool… toul… to…" pronounced Naruto, reading the words that were sprawled on the sign. The words sat underneath a silhouette of a girl riding atop a broomstick, wearing a pointy hat. _What a weird looking symbol. _"What does Tool Toul To mean?" asked Naruto.

Sakura and Sasuke both shrugged and they all just stood there for a while, staring up at the sign.

"Hey, don't just stand there," called out a voice. A hand suddenly appeared and frantically waved them over to the store. The three academy graduates threw furtive glances at each other before curiosity won them over. When they arrived, a girl with extremely messy purplish-pink hair greeted them. "Welcome to our AT shop right here in... umm…" she looked down at something, "… Konohagakure no Sato."

Team seven peered at all the weird merchandise that was for sale. They all looked like… well parts of some kind of machine. Wheels were displayed, along with springs, screws, and other bits and pieces that none of them could recognize. Actually, all of it looked suspiciously like junk; garbage in Naruto's eyes. Who would ever want to buy this stuff?

"No thanks," said Naruto, immediately, as he waved goodbye the shop girl.

"Yea, are you trying to scam us or something?" growled Sakura.

Sasuke was already walking away like this whole thing was a waste of his time.

"W-wait!" said the messy-haired girl, suddenly jumping out and dragging all three of them back to the store. "Don't be like that. I have something to give all of you."

Moments later, she pulled out three different duffel bags. They were large and the first had designs of blue and white whirlpools and cyclones swirling elegantly across an ocean background, trimmed neatly with orange. The second looked a little intimidating. It was white and depicted red splatters of blood on each end. Pink cherry blossoms flowed stylishly across the rest of it. The final bag was on a black background, based with a bright red flame design with blue wisps of lightning interspersed above it.

"These are yours," said the shopkeeper. She smiled as she pushed the bags towards the group.

Too excited to question the suspicious nature of the shop or the absurdity of getting a free gift from a stranger like this, Naruto let go a "Cool!" before quickly picking up the black flame-and-lightning bag. Much to his surprise, the girl quickly yanked it back from him and shoved the orange-trimmed one into his arms.

"Sorry," she apologized. "They're each custom fit so you can only take the one that was meant for you." She then took the white and black bags and handed them over to Sakura and Sasuke respectively.

"What's in them?" asked Sakura, trying to pull on the zipper of the bag. She couldn't, it was stuck or something. "Huh? I can't open them." Sasuke and Naruto each tried to open their respective bags but, like Sakura's, the zipper refused budge on either.

"They're called Air Treks," answered the shopkeeper. "And the bags are locked right now. Don't lose them... if you have any questions, ask Ikki and the others."

"Huh!?" Naruto was about to shoot off another question, like who she was, or who Ikki and the others are, but when he looked up again, the girl… and the shop, was gone, replaced with a dilapidated old building and a rotting indiscernible sign hanging above it. "Where did she?"

Both Sakura and Sasuke looked up, distraught. "The shop is gone?"

They all looked around themselves but found nothing… no trace that the shop even existed. "This is too weird," said Naruto."

There was another hum that sounded all around them. It was that same sweet, melodic voice they heard before…

_Upon destined roads you three shall travel,__  
Guided by the kings;  
But don't stray off course or paths may unravel,  
And lead towards nightmarish things. _

_

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_

**A/N: **By the way, their roads aren't what you think they are. It should be obvious by now that Ikki and the others are going to train them, but they'll be following their own roads which will be revealed some time later on.


	5. Round One

**A/N: **I don't even know if you can call this a chapter. Its so short its more like half a chapter. In any case, I've got some crazy writer's block at the moment so I'm releasing it anyways.

Currently I'm struggling with the balance of power between ATs and ninjas. Writing up fights between characters of two different universes, one Sci-fi the other fantasy, is proving to be a bit of a challenge for me. I don't want ATs to seem overpowered; nor do I want ninjas to be weak compared to them. In any case, as soon as I work out a scale (of who is stronger than whom) chapters will be updated so much faster. Gah *pulls out hair*.

* * *

**. : Round One : .**

* * *

Kogarasumaru versus some guy named Kakashi. The stand-off between them became silent and intense.

Even so, Ikki was drunk with over-confidence. All he had to do was get some stupid bell from some old geezer (who didn't even have ATs) and the team would officially walk away with the title of ninja. The process seemed so stupidly easy that it was borderline lame. Even so, Ikki didn't really care about that. His mind was preoccupied with more important matters like thinking up ninja-esque names for the tricks of his soon-to-be-new road.

_The world better be prepared for the birth of Ikki, Mystical NinjaStorm King of the Shuri-cane Road, _thought Ikki. Drool leaked out the corners of his mouth as he bared his teeth in a devilish grin at his adversary. However, before anyone could make the first move, Yayoi interrupted them all.

"Wait!" she cried out, much to Ikki's annoyance and everyone else's surprise. With a bored look plastered on her face, Yayoi lazily pulled out a white handkerchief and proceeded to twirl it around. "I surrender," she finished before moving over to the wooden training posts and sitting atop one of them. Ikki shrugged off her sudden forfeit. She didn't have any ATs anyways.

"I'm… out too," added Buccha. "Too hungry… can't fight…" And just like that, Buccha collapsed to the ground and passed out.

"Dammit, Buccha, you lazy slob," complained Ikki, trying to kick his huge friend awake.

The white-haired ninja, Kakashi, sighed. "Are we going to start anytime soon?" he taunted. "Looks like I was right after all. You bunch are nothing but a waste of time."

Agito let go a cocky snicker. "The guy doesn't even have ATs and he thinks he can mess with us," sneered the blue-haired Fang King. "Leave him to me, Crow, and I'll carve my bloody road all over him."

-x-

Kakashi watched as the four teenagers began fighting over who would go first. It annoyed him a little but he took the opportunity to analyze the team. The one with messy black hair, Ikki, seemed to be their leader though if the others held any respect for him, none was shown. Agito, the boy with the blue-hair and eye-patch covering his left eye was the most dangerous looking; a possible threat. And the other two, the ones named Kazu and Emily, didn't look to have any noteworthy qualities.

Moments later, it was the girl who emerged from the group, stretching her arms and legs amidst cheers and encouragement from the rest of her team. Kakashi sighed again. "And here I thought you all knew something about teamwork. You'll never win if you don't all come at me at once," he warned.

Ikki scoffed. "Hah! You're not even wearing ATs. Without them, our weakest member is more than enough to take you down," he gloated. "Kill him, Adachi!"

"Yeah! Fuck! Slaughter the cocky bastard. Make Kazu proud!" added Agito.

"Who are you calling weak, Ikki!?" she shouted. "And sh-shut up Agito! Do you want to die or something!?" Her cheeks were clearly tainted with red as she threw furtive glances over to Kazu.

Kazu just scratched his head. "What are you guys doing? Let's just get this over with."

_So they're not going to take me seriously…,_ thought Kakashi. _These kids need to be taught a harsh lesson._

"I just have to get that bell, right?" asked Emily.

Kakashi nodded. "Whenever you're ready…"

Without warning, the girl burst towards him, arm cocked back ready to deliver what looked like a punch. She was fast, Kakashi admitted, her speed almost caught him off-guard, but his Sharingan easily caught the movements. Her punch—all power, no finesse—was dodged with little-to-no effort on his part and Kakashi responded with a remorseless knee straight into her abdomen. He didn't hold back; that single blow was all it took. Emily's breath was knocked out of her with a sickening wheeze. Her eyes widened, pupils dilated, and she let go a staggered cough before falling to the ground curled up in pain.

"Adachi!" shouted out Kazu, prepared to rush in to help her.

Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows with ill-contained fury, stopping Kazu in his tracks with the words that erupted after: "You brats wanted to be ninja, right!? Didn't I tell you I wouldn't go easy on any of you!?" He followed through with a swift kick to Emily's side, forcing her onto her back, and pressed down onto her stomach with his foot.

The rest of Kogarasumaru looked shocked.

"Or did you think being a ninja was some kind of joke or game? Well hate to break it to you, but we're real. We're soldiers who fight, who kill, who die in battle," continued Kakashi, pulling a Kunai towards Emily's neck. "So if you're going to play ninja with me, you better be prepared to put your lives on the line."

"Understand?" added the enraged Jounin.

The reply was unexpected. Agito burst forward, only to stop just as suddenly, throwing out a lightning fast kick in mid-air. Kakashi read the movements with the Sharingan but the wave of compressed air that howled out at him was nearly invisible, even with the eye of an Uchiha. He barely dodged the attack, flipping over it. But when he landed a second later, the girl was underneath him no longer, replaced by a trail of fire. The boy named Kazu now had Emily securely cradled in his arms.

All three of them looked about ready to retaliate with a vengeance and Kakashi was prepared for it. He'd more than teach these kids a lesson. He'd ingrain in their minds that becoming a ninja isn't about fun or adventure. It's about duty, loss, and sacrifice. And so like countless students past, if he could save these kids from following his footsteps, he would do so with all his might.

* * *

**A/N: **Yes, I know, disappointing chapter cuz nothing happened. Like I said, writer's block. Story will improve soon.

And thanks for all the little ideas in your reviews... they definately inspire me a little. Keep 'em coming.

Next chapter will be the end of the Kakashi/Kogarasumaru fight along with the revelation of Onigiri's whereabouts. Hint: He probably won't be meeting up with the others for a while.


	6. PotSR: The Ramen Queen

**A/N: **I know you're all expecting the end of the Kogarasumaru/Kakashi fight. Sorry to disappoint. The chapter is done. I'm just waiting for my beta reader to finish with it so I can post it. So for now, enjoy the unedited start of Onigiri's side story.

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**. : Path of the Smell Road 1: The Ramen Queen : .**

* * *

They came like a storm, a slow trickle at first then suddenly ravenous as a huge party of people arrived unexpected. They were an onslaught of both men and women, grabbing wooden sticks to wield between their fingers, anger and annoyance smudged across their faces as they jostled each other in their rampage.

Ayame Icharaku cowered back against the walls of the ramen stand, stung by burns on her hands, tears in her eyes, determined not to cry. Exhausted and filled with uncertainty and apprehension, she tightened the white bandana that was tied across her smooth chestnut hair. She was hoping it would help calm her down and snap her thoughts into action but it didn't work. Not until she caught the sight of a familiar old-looking face shoving his way to the front of the irate-looking group.

"Well, well, well…" said the graying old man ominously as he smirked. "Looks like you're all alone today, Ayame. Even so, I won't go easy on you, you know."

She replied quickly, her eyes like gleaming onyx pearls, her chest rising and falling with angry breath. Usually she would be much nicer, but after being forced to work alone during the peak hours of the business with still no break in sight, her charm and kindness had kind of faded away. "What do you want, old man?" she asked, glaring at him as if it would make him and the others disappear.

The wrinkled man's gray brows furrowed in annoyance but his smirk remained. "Is this how you treat your precious customer? I even brought friends with me today."

Murmurs of "Ayame", and "Demoness" echoed throughout the crowd. _Did she really look that angry? _It was definitely possible.

"So she's the one, huh?" whispered one of the new customers.

"That's her," replied another. "She's Icharaku's daughter."

"Enjoy it, my friends. It's rare to have the Queen of Ramen personally serve us all like this."

Though dressed in her usual white yukata, Ayame felt strangely naked as onlookers beamed their hungry stares at her. If this group didn't finish her off, nothing would.

"Now! Ayame!" announced the old man. Ayame flinched when the man threw out an assertive finger at her. "Four bowls of pork ramen with tonkotsu style soup and extra leek, two bowls of tanmen ramen with shio style soup served with tamago and fried negi, a bowl of miso ramen mixed with shoyu ramen topped with thick slices of chasu, three bowls of hakata ramen and they better be made with egg noodles…"

Ayame's eyes widened in perplexity and she scrambled for a pencil to jot down the ridiculously complicated orders that kept shooting out of the man's mouth.

"And one more…" added the man wickedly after ordering about twenty bowls of ramen.

She begged for mercy but was met with disregard. "Not that… Please, just not today."

"Not a chance, Ayame! One order of the Ayame Special Ramen!" finished the man. "HAHAHAHAHAHA…" Was that thunder that cracked overhead as the order escaped the man's lips?

The Ayame Special was a ridiculously complicated ramen. In fact, it started out as an experiment that she concocted when she was but a mischievous little ramen girl, unaware of the workings of the world around her. It was a ramen birthed from love, boredom, curiosity, and a ridiculously complicated mix of different soup bases, noodles, and toppings prepared at exact temperatures. She hated herself for coming up with it. The Ayame Special wasn't even on the menu but a single spoonful of the special soup was enough for customers to become addicted to its taste. Unfortunately, it also needed to be made from scratch every time.

Ayame tried to throw on her cutest, most sorrowfully pleading look. "Please... I'll give you a free bowl of anything else. My special is just too—"

"Hmph," cut off the old man as he took his seat. "You have twenty minutes. Finish our orders by then or your old man will hear of your incompetence. You don't want to get sent back to Konoha prematurely, do you?"

Ayame's mouth gaped open but she swallowed back a rebuttal. As much as she hated this customer at the moment, the old-man was absolutely right. If she, daughter of the great Ramen Master Icharaku, couldn't even complete a mere twenty bowls of ramen in twenty minutes, her father would surely demand she return to Konohagakure for more torturous ramen training hell.

_Suck it up, Ayame,_ she thought. _Father's training is much, much worse than this. _She allowed herself a quick shudder before swallowing back her pride and getting to work.

-x-

_This must be heaven._

Onigiri, nicknamed so because of his riceball resembling head, moved upside-down through the running and screaming groups of naked, wet, and astoundingly soft looking girls. His higher senses (namely his hot-ass radar, breasts-thoscope, and sex-ray vision) went into hyperdrive as he chased down each girl one-by-one, ingraining the visions into his head. He wasn't satisfied with just seeing them, however. He wanted to feel them, taste them, and smell them. Too bad his plans were cut short when suddenly the girl's fears transformed into monstrous anger and they all turned on him at once, kicking him down and stomping mercilessly on his chubby body.

_Now it kind of felt like Hell. At least it still looked like heaven_, he thought until he finally woke up. _Damn._

"Wake up you fat pig," he heard a voice yell. "You're in the way."

Onigiri opened his eyes to find himself lying on the middle of a busy road, angry onlookers glaring at him from every direction. _Oh crap. What the hell? Where am I?_ He quickly got off the road, if only to stop people from kicking him.

Afterwards, he looked around. Nothing was familiar. The buildings, the way people dressed, and… hell even the sky didn't look right. All of it looked kind of... old fashioned. About the only thing he recognized was himself and the Kogarasumaru outfit he was wearing. He still had is ATs, at least, both of them still on his feet instead of one adorning his head as he wandered through the crowds.

"Excuse me, where is this place?" he tried asking to random people walking by. His questions were met with either ignorance or angry glares. It was clear he looked like an outsider. However, when he finally got an answer, it didn't make sense.

Apparently, he was in Kumogakure of Lightning Country.

In any case, his first task was to find Ikki and the others. That was what he thought, anyways, until his nose caught the whiff of a powerfully enticing smell nearby. As the king of the smell road, there was no way he could ignore it. So he followed his nose, becoming intoxicated by the smell as he got closer… until his eyes found its beautiful source: a busy looking ramen bar.

No, it wasn't the ramen bar itself that was beautiful, it was the girl within. She was like a goddess, weaving strands of noodles through her fingers as if she was playing a musical instrument of taste and smell. Her arms were moving so furiously they resembled elegant blurs and random ingredients flew up and down all around her as if they were dancing into the pots that aromatically cooked them.

Onigiri couldn't resist. Awestruck, he approached the bar and took a seat next to some old man.

"Hello," requested Onigiri to the ramen girl. She ignored him, continuing to chop up ingredients with masterful grace. "Excuse me," he tried again.

"It's no use," said the old man beside him. "Not when she's like this."

Onigiri gazed back at her working form. That girl alone was miles ahead of the crappy Chinese restaurant his father owned back at home. Onigiri was completely smitten.

"Amazing, isn't she?" continued the man. Onigiri nodded, speechless. "Around here, and many other countries, she is well known as Ayame the Ramen Queen. Consider yourself lucky to see her in action like this."

"Ramen Queen?" repeated Onigiri. He was lucky indeed. If cooking had an infinite atmosphere, this was her run. "Ramen Queen of the Culinary Road."

"Culinary Road?" inquired the old-man, dumbfounded.

"Nevermind," answered Onigiri.

Moments later, and she was done, handing to the old-man what looked like a bowl of perfection. The man took a ceremonial whiff of its contents as the girl looked towards him, nervous, expectant.

The man raised a torrent of noodles slowly, teasingly, agonizingly, before finally slurping them into his wide mouth.

Ayame held her breath for a reaction. "Well?" she asked. The sounds of slurping screamed at her in response and she looked as if she wanted to scream back at it. Thankfully, a grin grew across the old man's face before she could.

"Amazing," he finally said to an obviously relieved looking Ayame. "You are indeed Icharaku's daughter. You should be proud."

She breathed out a sigh of relief. "Phew, that was nerve racking," she replied, wiping off the little sweat she had accumulated on her brow. When her eyes landed on Onigiri, she turned red and voiced her surprise. "Oh my gosh, another customer. I'm sorry, I hope you haven't been waiting long. What would you like?"

"Ah, no problem at all," said Onigiri, taking a page from Ikki and acting all nonchalant. "He turned towards the awesome looking bowl of ramen the old man was currently enjoying. "I'll have what he's having."

Snap sounded the steel ladle in her hand.

_Snap? Uh oh…_ _Was it something he said?_ The stormrider instincts within him rung out in warning loud and clear. There was a familiar air about her now. The same kind of air he felt when Ikki, Kazu, and Agito were around. And the first thing he noticed when she leapt at him? She was wearing a pair of ATs. No, they looked like something more. Was she wearing... regalia?

* * *

**A/N: **Bet you didn't see that coming, did you? BTW, she's not the fourth Sky Child. For now, let's just say she'll help Onigiri's character grow a little. You might be surprised by Onigiri when I'm done with him. Don't worry, I'm not trying to change his personality or anything. He'll stay the perverted fatso he's always been; just with a twist.


End file.
